MERRY Masquerade upset the Cheltenham Stayers' Hurdle form when landing the Rendlesham at Kempton last Friday. The winner may well take the Bonusprint at the Festival, if it's on.

Andrew Thornton had the mount on Mary Reveley's staying star, replacing Peter Niven, and worked hard on the Lingdale runner to land the spoils from the much-touted Teaatral. Niven had been injured in an earlier race.

Mrs Reveley's Whistling Dixie was the best of our northern raiders in the earlier Coral Eurobet Hurdle, but found two too good for him. For the record, Dhuadeloup was sixth and Xaipete eighth.

Norman Mason's Nosam and Mrs Reveley's Carrick Troop were runner-up and third respectively in the chase which followed.

However, the Cheltenham Festival looks doubtful as the British Horseracing Board and Jockey Club on Tuesday called off racing for seven days in the light of the foot-and-mouth outbreak.

Several trainers had already taken matters into their own hands, including Ferdy Murphy, whose West Witton yard lies in the heart of stock farming country.

The Irishman said: "I've one farm on one side with 300 cattle and one on the other side with 1,000 sheep and if I brought this disease back here, I could never forgive myself." He shut down his yard and pulled out his five intended Catterick runners.

In the 1967 epidemic, racing was stopped for six weeks, but the authorities were this week hopeful that by having a break and putting in place precautions, racing could re-start shortly and the Festival would not be lost.

At Catterick on Tuesday, the entrances bore disinfected straw ramps and all wagon or horsebox wheels were sprayed.

Among those commenting on the shut-down was vet and former trainer Peter Calver, who said: "We have to be guided by the best opinions available." Fellow vet Graham Russ, whose clients include Mrs Reveley, said there were sound veterinary reasons for suspending racing.

Jockeys, blacksmiths, feed merchants, bookmakers, trainers - and not least owners - will all find any lengthy stoppage a costly one, but the consensus of opinion in racing is that everyone must support farming. That is all but television presenter John McCririck, who said that the sport had been betrayed.

Racing Week's view is that horse training and farming are in most places too close together to take risks. While horses cannot contract the disease, they can carry it mechanically, as can their riders or handlers, and more importantly, their transport.

If the authorities can devise ways of preventing even the smallest risk of the virus being spread then all well and good. Otherwise, a ban is inevitable until the epidemic is ended.

At least there was good racing to savour before the enforced cessation. Haydock on Saturday saw a splendid win by Bring Sweets in the two-mile hurdle and Brian Ellison's charge may now go for either the Champion or the County Hurdle at Cheltenham.

The De Vere Gold Cup Chase, won by Frantic Tan, was a disappointment for us as Streamstown was fifth, but not disgraced. However, we were all devastated by the death of Young Kenny, who had to be put down after breaking a hind fetlock joint in the race.

For trainer Peter Beaumont and for all of his fans, the death of this fine chaser was tragic. Young Kenny was the winner of the same race in 1999 when it was the Greenalls Grand National Trial, the Midlands and Scottish Nationals the same year, the Singer and Friedlander at Uttoxeter in February 2000 and the Becher Chase at Aintree last November.

Ferdy Murphy sent out a fine looking bumper winner, Imago II, another French-bred, under JP McNamara.

Over at Uttoxeter, Fiori won the novice hurdle for Patrick Haslam.

Huntingdon saw Malcolm Jefferson with Shardante and Tim Easterby with Barnburgh Boy both winning.

The dubious honour of sending out the last winner before the break went to Micky Hammond, whose Catterick bumper winner West Point may go to Cheltenham for the Festival bumper.

Although Ferdy Murphy had withdrawn his runners, jockey Adrian Maguire had a double for other stables and Adie Smith won for Howard Johnson on Ballybough Rasher.

On the all-weather, Mick Easterby's Silver Socks, which has lately been advertised for sale, cracked in another two wins in his run of five wins from six runs last month.

Rimatara also scored on the sand for the Sheriff Hutton handler.

Patrick Haslam sent out Vodka to win at Southwell, while Battle Warning won for fellow Middleham man Micky Hammond.

A pre-Festival roast beef lunch is planned at Middleham next Sunday, March 11, in aid of the Stablelads Welfare Trust. Micky Hammond and Ferdy Murphy will be on the panel to give tips for Cheltenham and the four-course lunch at £25 will be at the Middleham Key Centre.

Telephone Carol Moore (wife of trainer George) on 01969 623823 or Raye Wilkinson, the Trust representative, on 01969 624123.

The week's winners

Key: All UK racing is now National Hunt (jumps), except for all-weather flat racing (AW). f=furlong (8f=1mile); chs=steeplechase; hdl=hurdles race; NHf=National Hunt flat race (bumper). Hb=homebred by owner.

Thursday last week. - Huntingdon: (chs) Shardante (trained by M Jefferson, at Norton; owned by W A Bethell), ridden by A Smith; (chs) Barnburgh Boy (T Easterby, Gt Habton; M P Burke), R Garritty.

Wolverhampton AW: (7f) Rimatara (M Easterby, Sheriff Hutton; Winton Bloodstock Ltd), D Gibson.

Friday. - Kempton: (hdl) Merry Masquerade (M Reveley, Lingdale; G S Brown), A Thornton.

Southwell AW: (11f) Vodka (P Haslam, Middleham; Mrs B M Hawkins), D McKeown); (12f) Silver Socks (M Easterby; trainer), S Hitchcott; (14f) Battle Warning (M Hammond, Middleham; trainer), J Quinn.

Saturday. - Haydock: (hdl) Bring Sweets (B Ellison, Malton; Spring Cottage Syndicate), V Keane; (NHf) Imago II (F Murphy, West Witton; T Eaves) J P McNamara.

Uttoxeter: (hdl) Fiori (P Haslam; I Wilson), N Hannity.

Monday. - Southwell AW: (8f) Sergeant York (D Barron, Maunby; N Shields), D Mernagh.

Tuesday. - Catterick: (hdl) Ballybough Rasher (H Johnson, Crook; Comtake-Welding Engineering Specialists), A Smith; (chs) Castletown Count (M Easterby; Abbots Salford Caravan Park), R McGrath; (NHf) West Point (M Hammond; Intercity Partnership), D Elsworth.

Wolverhampton AW: (12f) Silver Socks (M Easterby; trainer), Mr A Evans.